Daily Update: Will Ospreay, UFC, Google trends

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Sasha Banks & Naomi walk out of Raw, Ric Flair returning to the ring

  • Performer and Match of the Week
  • Sasha Banks and Naomi walking out of the WWE taping on Monday. What were the plans, where were things going, how did it go down, what was the reaction, what is the not talked about story that was the key to all of this
  • Dwayne Johnson and the XFL get an ESPN deal, what it means, what is their competition and also a look at ratings
  • Ric Flair returning to wrestle, a look at the situation, the match, others of his age wrestling, why Ricky Steamboat turned down the match
  • Cain Velasquez denied bail again, the man he was accused of shooting speaks, his lawyer speaks
  • AEW Double or Nothing and WWE Hell in a Cell as well as business notes for the week
  • Ticket sales for the WWE Clash at the Castle in Cardiff
  • Full coverage of Capital Collision, the New Japan show from Washington, DC
  • Full coverage of Saturday’s UFC show
  • This past week’s ratings
  • Main event plans for the next four WWE PPV shows
  • More details on why Stephanie McMahon took a leave of absence
  • Update on Money in the Bank
  • Update on Young Rock
  • Streaming numbers
  • Freak accident ends a main event just three minutes in
  • Matt Jackson does video challenging for major world title
  • Five Star Grand Prix tournament
  • Update on Kota Ibushi
  • New Japan Strong tapings for the next month run down
  • Best of the Super Juniors update
  • Update on Tammy Sytch
  • Wrestler shot to death
  • Zachary Wentz talks about his Hitler photo
  • Former WWE stars announce new promotion featuring the wrestling debut of Alistair Overeem
  • Huge match between two of the top stars in the business set for Sunday
  • More on the Warner Discovery upfronts and what is going on at Warner Discovery
  • Tony Khan talks the creative process
  • Hikaru Shida gets upset
  • Toni Storm talks the original plan for the Charlotte Flair angle
  • AEW vs. WWE in New York and Chicago business update
  • International TV ratings
  • Sports franchise of the year
  • How much UFC CEO Ari Emanuel earned this past year
  • Ari Emanuel defends his ESPN PPV deal
  • Baseball legend on MMA promotion board of directors and a new investor

This Week’s Retro Observer Newsletter: April 18, 2005 Observer Newsletter: Matt Hardy released by WWE, Ultimate Fighter 1 Finale

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Sunday News Update

  • Bryan and I will be back tonight with Wrestling Observer Radio covering weekend news. The Saturday show with Garrett and I went into detail on Stephanie McMahon leaving WWE temporarily, the WWE suspending Sasha Banks and Naomi and AEW Double of Nothing among other topics.
  • An update on Will Ospreay is that he is suffering from a kidney infection and as of a few hours ago he had a 104 degree fever. He was scheduled to headline York Hall today and defend his British title against Minoru Suzuki. It’s serious business and until the infection clears we won’t have an estimate of when he can return to the ring, but what he has is no joke. Ospreay said he was as miserable as he’s ever been, that he can’t stand without without feeling he was about to faint, and gets bad sweats as well as bad chills.
  • Julianna Pena vs. Amanda Nunes in a rematch of one of the biggest upsets in MMA history will headline the 7/30 UFC show at the American Airlines Center in Dallas. The two are currently coaching the two teams on the current season of Ultimate Fighter that airs on ESPN+.
  • In yesterday’s UFC main event, Ketlen Vieira won a split decision over Holly Holm. Judge Michael Bell gave Vieira rounds two, three and four to win 48-47. Judge Derek Clearly gave Vieira rounds two, three and four and had her up 48-47. Judge Sal D’Amato gave Vieira only two and four and gave Holm a 48-47 edge. However, media scores were 90 percent for Holm.
  • In the Michel Pereira vs. Santiago Ponzinnibio fight, Bell had Pereira winning the first two rounds and up 29-28. Junichiro Kamijo had it 29-28 for Ponzinibbio with him having Ponzinibbio in round two (the swing round) and three. Ron McCarthy gave Pereira 30-27 win. Media scores were 60 percent to 40 percent in favor of Pereira.
  • NOAH has announced that Keiji Muto will make an important announcement on 6/12 at the CyberFight Festival at the Saitama Super Arena.
  • No polls this week but we are looking for reports on these shows to dave@wrestlingobserver.com
  • WWE last night in Rockford, IL
  • WWE tonight in Fort Wayne, IN (Advertised is Bianca Belair vs. Liv Morgan vs. Rhea Ripley vs. Alexa Bliss, which may not happen since last night was Belair vs. Asuka vs. Becky Lynch and usually main events are the same, plus Cody Rhodes vs. Seth Rollins)
  • WWE tonight in Cedar Rapids, IA (advertised top matches are Roman Reigns vs. Drew McIntyre for the Universal tile and Ricochet vs. Sami Zayn for the IC title, both of which did take place last night in Rockford
  • RevPro today at York Hall in London
  • WWE in Canton, OH last night:
  • Street Profits b Alpha Academy
  • Veer Mahaan b Robert Roode
  • Theory b Mustafa Ali
  • A.J. Styles & Liv Morgan b Damian Priest & Rhea Ripley
  • VIP Lounge where Bobby Lashley came out and speared MVP
  • Cody Rhodes b Seth Rollins
  • Bianca Belair won three-way to keep the women’s title over Asuka and Becky Lynch by pinning Lynch (thanks to Tim Bussey)
  • For Google trends this week, only three combat sports related topics charted all week, all yesterday. No. 9 was Floyd Mayweather, who did an exhibition fight yesterday in Abu Dhabi (as did Anderson Silva). No. 10 was boxer David Benavidez. No. 11 was Sasha Banks. The only day that story trended was Saturday. We talked heavily on the subject on the show with Garrett. Nothing from yesterday’s UFC show trended which is unusual, nor did anything on Banks & Naomi until yesterday nor anything related to Stephanie McMahon.
  • Today would have been the 144th birthday of the original Great Gama, which became a news item because Google put it on its home page earlier today (thanks to Mike Kuzmuk)
  • I’ve heard people raving about the Aussie Open vs. Velocities tag team match at the RevPro show at York Hall. As noted before, last year’s match in Australia between the two teams was generally regarded as among the best matches of the year (every major service had it ranked high).
  • The on sale went well for WWE tickets in Cardiff, Wales on 9/3 but it did not come close to a first day sellout. High ticket prices kept a lot of consumers away. Echo in Wales had a story on it but noted the complaints were more about service charges added . To get tickets, you had to pay an extra 12.5 percent and at first, there was nothing under $250 U.S. out there (now there is a lot of cheaper tickets so a family of four would be $1,000 plus another $125 in service charges and other fees).
  • The 7/27 AEW show in Worcester, MA got off to a strong start the show the week before in Duluth, GA (Atlanta market) as the Gas South Arena got off to a weak start. 
  • Thom Latimer and Kamille (Kailey Farmer) of NWA got married yesterday in Durhan, NC. Latimer was formerly married to Ashley Fliehr (Charlotte Flair) many years ago.

WWE

  • Stephanie McMahon was voted on the WWE Board of Directors with the third most votes, behind Vince McMahon and Nick Khan, just hours before she publicly released that she was taking a leave of absence. The current issue and the show with Garrett Gonzalez goes into more detail on this.

Other Notes

  • AIW from last night in Akron, OH: Chuck Stone & Arthur McArthur b August Matthews & Davey Bang, Nasty Russ & T-Money b Eric Taylor & Mikey Montgomery, Tom Lawlor b Kaplan, Eddie Kingston b Isaiah Broner, Derek Dillinger b Chase Oliver, Dominic Garrini b Matt Cardona-DQ so Cardona keeps AIW title, Josh Bishop & es Barkley & Dominic Garrini & Britt Baker b Philly Collins & Marino Tenaglia & Matt Cardona & Chelsea Green, Josh Bishop won Rumble style match. Next show is 6/17 in Cleveland at the Odeon.
  • CWE in Rivers, Manitoba last night: James Roth b Samuel, Tyler James & Dragneel b Bobby & Brenden Collins, Sammy Peppers b Danny Duggan, Adrian Burton b Kevin Cannon, Mike Mission b Rob Stardom. They are running 5/26 to 5/29 in Saskatchewan with Mike Rotunda there doing his IRS character.
  • Chainsaw Pro Wrestling last night in Kalkaska, MI: Kevin Kalloway & Sean Tyler b Jack Verville & Louis Lyndon, Erick Redbeard b Brutus Atwell, Solo & Chase Barnett b Kyler Coleman & Conrad Louks, Alex Shelley b Tommy Vendetta, Justin Kyle b Aaron Orion, Max Morrison & Jimmy Shalwin b Jackson Stone & Mitch Hewitt, Jumal Kyng b Jason Hotch (thanks to Leonard Brand).
  • GOUGE from yesterday in Apex, NC: Drew Hood b Oliey Primo, TIM b Victor Andrews to keep Gouge title, Seymour Snott b Glamour Boy Kahn, Inuit Joe b Carolina Kid, Waylon Maze b Chet Sterling in a cigar and a pole match. Next shows are 6/4 and 6/5 in Raleigh, NC at the Jim Graham Building Man’s Expo.
  • Fortitude Wrestling Entertainment on 6/18 at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds Holshouser Building in Raleigh, NC has Eugene, Hornswoggle, Zach Gowen, Super Crazy, Rob Conway & Sylvain Grenier and more.
  • EPW from last night in Perth, Western Australia: Taylor King b Mr. Thompson, James Hartness b Harry Dux, Harry Dux & Johnny Dux b Zenith & Del Cano, Father Tyler Jacobs b Faizal Keris, Noah Greene b Elijah Henry, Bruno Nitro & Ryan Rivers b Blake Walker & Seven Norsk, Elijah Henry won three-way over Gavin McGavin and Edith Night to win the Rising Star Cup. Next show is 6/11 at the Freo Social with McGavin vs. Mikey Nicholls.